DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

I have a Linksys WRT54GS wireless G broadband speedbooster router. Worked great with cable/Motora modem until I moved to isolated area where all I can get is DSL service using a ISP provided Netopia router/modem. I can get Internet service through the Ethernet connection straight to netopia. But to connect the Linksys, I have to reconfig everything. Must do some kind of bridging to get the wireless router to work. I am tired of spending hours on hold with Netopia. Can someone just send me directions for bridging the Netopia and the Linksys so they can communicate? I have the ppoe user name/passwords etc.Just not sure about all the other settings . . . .

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

Yucka. I am a technical support representive for verizon DSL and I fix this very issue on a daily basis.

I am unfamilar with the netopia modems but they all basically work the same. You will not need to bridge the modem. My method has us setting up the modem and router by themselfs, totally seperate from eachother. What you need to do is connect the modem by itself to the computer, configure it for its PPPoE connection and verify that you can surf without the router.

Next step is to disconnect the modems ethernet cable from the computer but don't reset the modem or power it down. Only disconnect its ethernet cable from the computer end. Then connect the linksys to the computer by itself. Do not connect the modem to the router. (Assuming you have windoes XP) Click Start> Control panel> Network and internet connections> Network connections. Right click on local area connection and click repair. This will force your network card to pick up the linksys IP.

Log into the linksys, 192.168.1.1 in internet explorer. On the setup section, set "internet connection type" to "Automatic configuration - DHCP". Locate "Local IP address". Change it to 192.168.2.1 and click save settings at the bottom.

Next power down the modem and linksys router for about 30 seconds and then power them up. This should do it.

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

If you operate the router/modem as router you will not be easily able to set up port forwardings if you later need them. So, with this kind of setup, if you later feel like you want to join some network gaming which requires you to open ports on your router, you'll have to do that twice: on the modem/router and the router. Two chained routers have it pitfalls if you are not always aware of the situation.

Therefore I always recommend to decide for only one router:

Either run the modem in bridge mode and use the WRT as router.Or run the modem in router modem and use the WRT as wireless access point.

This way no functionality is duplicated and chained in the setup.

If you keep the modem/router in router mode there is usually no real benefit keeping the WRT running as router, too. It's main purpose is then to allow wireless access to the LAN and internet. In that case it is better to setup the WRT as access point:

1. disable the DHCP server on the WRT2. assign a non-conflicting LAN IP addres to the WRT (it must not be the LAN IP address of your router/modem nor any IP address which the DHCP server on the router/modem assigns).3. hook up the WRT through a numbered LAN port to the modem. Do not use the Internet/WAN port.

Now wireless clients (and wired clients connected to the LAN ports of the WRT) have direct access to the LAN created by the modem/router. They directly use the DHCP server of the modem/router and use the modem/router directly as gateway. There is only a single NAT between the clients and the internet. All internet related configurations must be done in the modem/router.

The alternative is to setup the modem in bridge mode. In bridge mode it is a simple DSL modem (with not router functions). With the modem in router mode, the WRT must be connected to the modem through the Internet/WAN port. The WRT must be setup for PPPoE with the username and password supplied by the ISP. Now the WRT is the DHCP server and internet gateway. All internet related configurations must be done in the WRT.

It would help to know the exact which model the netopia modem and a link to an online manual if possible...

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

Thank you so much for the information. I am not a networking gaming person . . . just a boring workaholic teacher who must do a lot of internet research . . . My biggest desire to have wireless access back . . . I've gotten so lazy! Anyway I have a netopia 2441N-VGx DSL gateway single port ethernet/USB. The website is http://www.netopia.com/support. I will try and see what I can figure out tonight.

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

I have a DSL modem, 54g WRT, and a security camera server connected to a LAN port on the WRT. I have a Static IP from BellSouth. I am unable to access the security camera server remotely but I can get to it just fine within my LAN.

The modem is currently in bridge mode and the WRT is PPPoE. I have tried setting the WRT in static IP mode, but I don't have a gateway with a subnet that will match the static IP address. BellSouth tells me repeatedly that their is no public default gateway for the modem (just the standard LAN gateway number).

Can the modem be set to PPPoE, the WRT to DHCP with port forwarding that will allow me to get to the security camera server from outside the LAN.

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

I suppose you have a working internet connection with your current setup. Static IP address on the ISP side usually means the ISP assigns you the same IP address each time you connect to them. You will still use PPPoE and the router is configured for this static IP address automatically. You cannot change anything in this setup and you should not try to.

To make a server accessible behind a NAT router you must setup a port forwarding in the router to your LAN server. Your LAN server should have a static IP address in your LAN for this purpose, else the IP address inside your LAN may change over time and you would have to adjust the port forwarding each time.

If you have not changed the default LAN ip setup and DHCP server settings in your router, you could assign your LAN server an IP address 192.168.1.50/255.255.255.0 with Gateway 192.168.1.1 and DNS server either 192.168.1.1 or those supplied by your ISP.

Next, configure port forwardings in your router at http://192.168.1.1/ . It depends on which ports our server uses. For a camera server I guess it will be a standard HTTP server at port 80. Thus, you'll setup port forwarding of port 80, protocol TCP, to address 192.168.1.50.

Now you should be able to connect to your server from the internet at the internet IP address of the router.

You may consider setting up the router for DDNS and use a service like dyndns.org. This allows you to use a proper host name instead of the ip address to connect to the router.

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

I had the exact same problem, with exact same equipment, as Yucka. After talking to my tech support several times and getting nothing more than 'reset the modem' and 'call linksys', I was very happy to find these directions (first set provided by gv) solved the problem in 10 seconds. THANKS!

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

Happy to hear you are a Verizon techie. Now, can you tell me how to get the linksys router to connect to the internet via a dsl modem? Tried for 3.5 hours and two Verizon techies, one sent me to linksys; the other had me change so many things, I''ve forgotten what I did. In thened, still no joy.

So, please help because it's getting frustrating. I have the Westell 6100 DSL modem, a linksys router, and an iMac running Mac OS 10.4

Re: DSL router/modem bridging with Linksys wireless

I also want to thank you docshady for your support. I was going through the same problem yesterday. My cousin gave me his Linksys router since he went with verizon FIOS and I was going nuts. I was told I needed to bridge the modem. After having me on the phone for almost 45 minutes with a person who sounded like they were reading out of a tech support manual, I decided to do some web searching, and bingo docshady to the rescue: Thanks mill dude.